John Koenakeefe Mohl , SA artist and founder member of Artists Under the Sun, dies in Soweto

John Koenakeefe Mohl was born in Zeerust in the Noth West province. He began drawing at a very young age and would often get in trouble in school for not paying attention to his studies. . His father withdrew him from school so he could look after cattle. A Reverend Hale of The London Missionary Society recognized his talent and convinced his father to allow him to draw. Mohl got an opportunity to accompany a German Artist to South West Africa (Namibia), where he received formal training at the Windhoek School of Art. He also studied at the Kunst-Akademie, Germany.

Mohl returned to South Africa and opened an art school in Sophiatown. Apartheid laws forced Mohl to close the school, after which he opened an art gallery under a European’s name. When Sophiatown was demolished, Mohl was forced to sell his work from home and refused to do business with commercial galleries. He later founded Artists under the Sun, which began as a group of township artists who showcased at Joubert Park in Central Johannesburg. It has now grown to showcase artists from different backgrounds all over South Africa Mohl died on 28 January 1985.